Oilers defenseman praises teammate with comparisons to Karlsson.
As the offseason began, one of the priorities signings for the Edmonton Oilers was locking up Evan Bouchard to a contract before the start of training camp.
As the days and months ticked on, it seemed like it was becoming more difficult for a contract to come together as Bouchard has had several great seasons and a fantastic playoff last year. But general manager Ken Holland managed to get the job done and locked up Bouchard to a two-year bridge deal.
With that out of the way, the team can now focus on getting ready for the season. Interestingly enough during the 32 Thoughts Podcast today, fellow Oiler defencemen and star Mattias Ekholm explained how Bouchard ranks amongst other elite defensemen in the league namely Erik Karlsson.
«I played with Erik Karlsson early on with the national teams and all that. I think he has the same attributes at times,» Ekholm said. «The passing, the vision. Obviously, it's tough to put him on that pedestal, not to put any pressure on him, but as an offensive defenceman, I think he has everything it takes.»
«Buckle up for him. I think he keeps trending and keeps playing with confidence; I think that was the biggest thing. I think when I got in, he was a little too worried sometimes about the defensive faults that happen, and the coaches want to push on, but as a guy like that, you have to just be able to be like, �Okay, I get it. But I also make eight good things happen offensively.'»
That review from Ekholm certainly shows high confidence in the 23-year-old defenseman who was drafted by the Oilers in 2018 in the first round 10th pick overall. He has played his entire career with the Oilers and during that time, he has played 184 games, with 23 goals and 66 assists for 89 points and as a + 9.
Has the Oilers prepared for their new season emotions are high and expectations are high as the team was brought back to try again but the bulk of the players returning.
| POLL | ||
Do you feel Evan Bouchard is similar to Penguins star Defenseman Erik Karlsson ? | ||
| Yes | 43 | 45.3 % |
| No | 52 | 54.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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